Clean Up This Damn Mess

It’s another one of those slow days here at Civil War Memory, but I didn’t want Robert E. Lee’s birthday to pass without showing due respect. With that in mind I thought we would once again try our hands at giving this print a caption. This is a truly bizarre print. I assume that in addition to Lee and Longstreet we are looking at John Bell Hood and A.P.Hill. It looks like Hill’s horse is eating blood-stained grass. What’s Lee complaining about? Even Traveller looks upset with Longstreet. I will leave the rest to you.

OK Ken, what do you got for us?

And if you are looking for something to listen to this Saturday evening, here is a nice discussion between Peter Carmichael, Allen Guelzo, and James McPherson.

"In this stunning and well-researched book, Kevin Levin catches the new waves of the study of memory, black soldiers, and the darker underside of the Civil War as well as anyone has." -David Blight, author of Race and Reunion

Four of the Confederacy’s most brilliant General Officers-Hood, Hill, Longstreet, and Lee-meeting for the first and last time at Gettysburg, forging decisions that would effect the lives and fortunes of nations then and now.”

Now, that being the official caption, let’s go over what may be going on in the picture.

I think Hill is three seconds away from falling off his horse because of his venereal disease, Hood really, really, REALLY doesn’t want to attack the Round Tops, Longstreet is fascinated with his hat, and Lee is getting ready for the greatest ‘pull my finger’ joke in American history. Traveller is begging Longstreet not to fall for it.

Longstreet: “Given that Hill has turned into a Centaur, my best guess is that we’re in Narnia.” Lee: “Isn’t Narnia back that way? I am so very tired…” Hood: “I TOLD you we should’ve gone around to the right!”